School of Comedy

Didn't expect much from this but it's brilliant. The kids really pull off the comedy. Definitely give this a try if you like a laugh

5.3 is not a truly reflective score for this show. Available on 4od.com, I return to it quite often to cheer me up. Complaints about the writing or the concept of kids doing adult humour fall flat on the ground with me. The true concept is that here we have young teenagers developing enough of an understanding about adult life and using their comedic talents to poke fun at it. As for the writing, it is subjective to British life. That said, the viewer needs to overcome the fact that it is being delivered by children, albeit teenagers. When you can appreciate both points, teens making fun of adults with adult based humour, then you are in for a treat. The French taxi passenger who finds football boring and prefers opera and small boys, the estate agent reluctant to show the last room and the (sublime) sketches of the two immigrant South African security guards. Even the thought that teenagers can make fun of these tickles but to see it enacted, and so well, is hugely enjoyable.

I can imagine the craziness the youngsters unleashed on the set of the new series, School of Comedy, and how they simply must have driven all adults on set to distraction. I can't imagine how frustrated the director must have been, trying to handle a cast of dozens of talkative, unfocused, buzzing children. However, the attempts certainly, somehow, paid off.

The performances these kids gave, particularly Son of Rambow's Will Poulter, was nothing short of perfection. Being part of the shows target audience, I smiled. And I laughed. It's not just an adult sketch show, it's charming, witty, and the timing these children hold is superb. I believe in some of these young talents we are looking at the next Armstrong and Mitchell and Miller and Webbs of the sketch genre. And it's great to see such great talent emerging in the UK.

Previous reviewer mentioned how the writing let down the show. And I'm afraid I have to agree with him, he makes a good point. I nearly turned over at the adverts because the laughs were not coming fast enough, and that's down to the awkward situational writing. There's a certain creative spark but unfortunately, it's only flickering.

I didn't change channels and I'm glad. School of Comedy is a feel good sketch show performed by a highly talented new cast with buzzing energy, wit and charm.

Unfortunately E4 have a habit of pimping out shows that turn out to be awful. We've had the 'School of Comedy' all but forced down our throats for the past few weeks in the form of adverts, text within other programs, and the promise that we're going to wet ourselves laughing at children acting like adults.

Unfortunately it failed to deliver. It's a good concept if the thought of children acting like grown ups is enough to make you go into fits of laughter, but if you're expecting anything deeper you'll be disappointed. The child actors are not to be faulted in the slightest, there's some very promising performances from them, especially given they work through different accents and characters quite seamlessly. The writers appear to think that we'll simply be bowled over by children swearing, and don't bother to try and include any deeper reaching comedy; a shame since it seems these children are quite capable of it.

In short, very impressive acting from such a young cast, ultimately let down by poor and very lazy writing. Here's to hoping they buck up their ideas, or that these endearing children get a chance to go on and star in something decent.

It seems that people are knocking this show a little too harshly, and not appreciating it's light-hearted and fun nature. The gimmick of seeing kids act as adults is nothing new - ( Remember the 1976 movie Bugsy Malone?), but with seeing a talented cast deliver comedy sketches, the producers have definitely come up with something fresh and fun. All the performers are good, but special mention must go to Will Poulter, Max Brown, Beth Rylance, and Ella and Lilly Ainsworth, who really are top notch. Overall, as with a lot of sketch shows, there are hits and misses, but I found there to be more hits in this than in a host of other so-called comedy sketch shows currently airing. The wonderful spoofs of 1940's Noel Coward plays, but with added gayness are hilarious, as are the Saffa's, and the Polish workers taking advantage of the stupid English. I also love the Museum Perv, the therapy sessions, and the various music spoofs, when the cast launch into miming a popular song, whose lyrics match the nature of the sketch. All in all, a good series, which deserves a better response than most appear to have given it on this site.